Patterson’s perfect game helps Sox advance to semifinals in Omaha
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OMAHA, Neb. — Needing a win to advance to the championship bracket of the annual 19-and-under Battle of Omaha Classic, the Bryant Black Sox Senior American Legion team got that and more on Saturday. Right-hander Blake Patterson pitched a perfect game, retiring all 21 batters he faced as the Sox downed a team from Milwaukee, Wis., 7-0, at Burke High School.
Patterson struck out nine batters and only had four three-ball counts. He needed only around 80 pitches to dismiss the Wisconsin squad.
The Sox gave him all the runs he would need when they scored once in the first. Singles by Drew Tipton and Hayden Lessenberry on either side of a walk to Patterson loaded the bases with one out. Chase Tucker’s groundout plated the run.
Tipton made it 2-0 when he blasted a solo homer to left with one out in the third. Tucker reached on an error to start the fourth, stole second and, after Dalton Holt walked, the Sox played some small ball effectively. Brandan Warner bunted the runners to second and third then Austin Caldwell executed the squeeze to get Tucker home.
The Sox gave Patterson some breathing room with three runs in the fifth and the pitcher pitched in. Trevor Ezell walked and stole second ahead of Patterson’s single to left. When Lessenberry reached on an error, the bases were full for Tucker who delivered a sacrifice fly to make it 4-0. Patterson scored on a passed ball then so did Tucker, making it 6-0.
Patterson had struck out the first batter in the top of the fifth. The rest of the outs all came on groundballs. In the fifth, a bounced to Korey Thompson and a tap back to the mound retired the side. Ezell threw out two in the top of the sixth. Thompson handled the play in between.
Warner was hit by a pitch in the bottom of the sixth, stole second and took third on Justin Emmerling’s groundout. A wild pitch allowed the run to score moments before Thompson singled to left.
With seven on the board, the only mystery remaining was whether Patterson would complete the perfect game and no-hitter. He needed just nine pitches to close it out. A grounder to Ezell was followed by a roller to Holt at first. The final out was a little tricky. On another bouncer to the right side, Holt flagged it down and tossed to Patterson in time to start the celebration.
The Sox were set to play in a division semifinal on Sunday morning. With a win, they would advance to the division title game later in the day. The Classic final four will be held on Monday.
